Zarathushti Energy Expert Kobad Bhavnagri Appointed to the Board of Australia’s Renewable Energy Agency
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has announced the appointment of Kobad Bhavnagri, a Parsi energy transition expert, to its Board. The appointment was confirmed by Australia’s Minister for Climate Change and Energy, the Hon Chris Bowen MP, on July 9, 2026, alongside the appointment of Ms Lara Olsen. The two incoming directors succeed longstanding Board member Stephen McIntosh.
ARENA is the Australian government body tasked with funding and accelerating the commercialisation of renewable energy technologies, and a seat on its Board places Kobad among a small group shaping how Australia allocates capital toward decarbonisation.
From Engineer to One of the Energy Transition’s Most Cited Voices
Kobad Bhavnagri spent 16 years at BloombergNEF (BNEF), the research arm of Bloomberg dedicated to tracking the global shift to a low-carbon economy, most recently serving as its Global Head of Strategy. Over his tenure he held a series of senior roles at BNEF in Australia and globally, building a reputation as a trusted, independent voice on the technologies, economics, and market forces driving the energy transition.
His subject-matter expertise spans clean power, hydrogen, industry decarbonisation, electrified transport, carbon markets, sustainable agriculture, nature restoration, and climate adaptation — a breadth reflected in the more than 200 research publications he has authored, including BNEF’s flagship New Energy Outlook and Hydrogen Economy Outlook. Earlier in his career, and as reflected in his long-standing bio with the Climate Council of Australia, Kobad worked across the energy and finance sectors as an engineer, management consultant, and analyst before joining Bloomberg, where his academic grounding in engineering and environmental studies fed directly into his research on energy economics, markets, and policy.
Kobad holds a Bachelor of Engineering (First Class Honours) from the University of New South Wales and has completed executive education at Harvard Business School.
A Trusted Advisor Across Government, Industry, and Academia
Alongside his ARENA appointment, Kobad currently serves as a Governor and member of the Eminent Scientists Group of WWF Australia, and as an Adjunct Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of New South Wales, his alma mater. He is also a spokesperson for the Climate Council of Australia on economic aspects of the energy transition.
His policy contributions include service on the Australian Government’s India-Australia Green Hydrogen Taskforce and the National Hydrogen Strategy Review, connecting his BNEF research directly to national policy design. He is also a former Non-Executive Director and Nominations Committee Chair of the Carbon Market Institute.
A Zoroastrian Voice Shaping the Global Energy Transition
Kobad Bhavnagri’s appointment to the ARENA Board is a significant milestone for a Parsi professional working at the intersection of engineering, finance, and climate policy — and a reminder of how members of our small community continue to punch well above their weight on the global stage, this time in the consequential arena of the energy transition.
Parsi Khabar congratulates Kobad on this appointment and wishes him well in his new role guiding Australia’s renewable energy investment.